The Language of Love
by HP Slash Luv
Summary: Florist!AU. Draco walks into the flower shop for flowers for his girlfriend. He didn't expect the florist to be so charming.


**Written for:**

**Gift Giving Extravaganza 2020: **January - Written for Elizabeth (MoonytheMarauder1)  
Pairing: Draco/Harry, Teddy  
Prompts: single parent!au, fluff, jealousy

**Hogwarts: **Matchmaking Club  
Pairing: Draco/Harry  
Prompt: florist!AU

**Notes: I don't know anything about the language of flowers or flowers in general. Anything I put in here, I go for google, so I apologize ahead of time for any discrepancies.**

**The Language of Love**

Draco walked into the flower shop. He gazed around the small shop. The sunlight seemed to brighten up the whole atmosphere. He paused in his perusing when he saw a small boy coloring at a small table, built specifically to be for a little kid. His tongue poked through his lips as he concentrated on his project. He made such a sweet picture of perfection.

"Hello, may I help you?" a cautious voice asked.

Draco's attention snapped to the person in front of him. A raven-haired man wearing an apron, startling emerald eyes narrowed in suspicion, and pruning shears grasped in a white-knuckled hand that was made to be an ominous threat. He swallowed. The little boy was probably the man's son, so the warning was understandable. After all, if anyone looked at a child of Draco's with such curiosity, red warning bells would go off in his head.

He did his best to smile and put the man at ease. "Yes, I'm sorry. I was just caught off guard by your son. He really is adorable."

"Thank you."

"I can tell he's quiet too. He must be a joy to bring to work with you."

The man frowned. "I would prefer if I didn't have to make Teddy sit here all day, but I'm on my own. His grandmother used to take him while I was at the shop, but she has recently taken ill and can't handle his bundle of energy all day."

Draco arched an eyebrow and turned to stare at the quiet and busy boy at his table.

"Don't let the silence fool you. He's being on his best behavior right now, but he's a handful when he gets going."

Draco chuckled. "I'm sure he is. I know I was when I was his age."

"Me too," the man agreed.

Draco smiled at the man.

The man cleared his throat, a light red hue spreading across his cheeks. "Anyways, I'm Harry and welcome to Lily's Marigold's." He gestured to his shop. "How can I help you?"

"My name is Draco, and I'm looking for a bouquet of flowers that says I like you and want to spend more time with you."

"Romantic or platonic?"

"Romantic, but nothing as ordinary as red roses."

Harry nodded. "I think I know what you need." He moved around his shop with great efficiency, naming the flowers he chose and their meanings. "Ajuga which means most lovable. Dahlias represent elegance and dignity. Anenome brings good luck and they symbolize anticipation, such as anticipation for a burgeoning relationship. Fushia is confiding love. Astilbe signifies patience and dedication. And finally, Goldenrod is for hope, love, and faith.

Draco grinned. "Perfect. Astoria will love it. Is there like a like cheat sheet so I can impress her with my vast knowledge of flowers?"

Harry grinned. "I'll write one out for you at no extra charge."

"Thank you."

Harry moved behind the counter and quickly wrote everything he told Draco. He then began the process of calculating the price while Draco watched in satisfaction.

X

Harry knelt next to the boy who read at his table. He sighed. Sometimes, he felt like he was screwing up with Teddy. He hoped Remus and Tonks wouldn't be disappointed with how Teddy was being raised, but what could he do? He felt like it was better to keep Teddy with him until he found a suitable daycare center instead of just a random babysitter. And Teddy didn't seem to mind being at Lily's Marigolds all day as long as he had something to keep him busy.

A bell alerted him to a customer. He looked up and his breath involuntarily caught at the platinum-blond-haired man he met a couple of weeks before. The one that wanted an original arrangement of flowers for his girlfriend.

"Welcome, Draco. Your girlfriend liked the last flowers so much that you're back for another bouquet?"

Draco scratched the back of his head. "Not really. She wasn't really impressed by the different flowers. And she didn't care to know what each meant. I guess maybe the more traditional rose bouquet would have been a better way to go with Astoria."

Harry had to fight down his surge of irritation for the girl he didn't know. How could she not appreciate Draco's thoughtful gift? She wasn't deserving of his feelings. His thoughts with mingled with jealousy that he was so devoted to her when Harry couldn't even find someone he wanted to date or someone who wanted to date him with a child as part of a deal. Sometimes life just wasn't fair.

He put on his best smile, though. It wasn't Draco's fault after all. "Of course. Do you just want red roses which are more traditional or different colors that symbolize different things."

Draco was silent for a moment. "I'm curious about the meanings, but something tells me I should stick to traditional this time around."

Harry nodded and took his scissors from his apron. "How many?"

"Two dozen should do it."

Harry walked over to the long-stemmed roses and started cutting them, being careful of the thorns. He counted out two dozen and then wrapped them in plastic, preserving them. He walked to the register and took an index card with roses and meanings out of a bin. He ran Draco's roses up who didn't bat an eye at the expensive cost.

"And this for you at no additional charge." He held out the index card, and when Draco reached for it, their fingers touched, shooting electricity down Harry's spine.

Draco stared at the card. "The purple rose means love at first sight, huh? Interesting."

Harry swallowed. "Right, interesting." He averted his eyes to where Teddy was standing up. "Harry, I finished my book."

Draco tilted his head in confusion at Teddy calling Harry by his name.

Harry moved over to the young boy. "I hope the roses work better for you this time, Draco," he threw over his shoulder.

With his attention focused solely on Teddy, he heard the bell ding, signaling Draco's departure, and only then, could he let himself relax.

X

Draco walked into the flower shop. Harry was nowhere to be seen, but Teddy sat in his usual spot. He walked over to the young boy and saw the arts and crafts project he had going on.

He knelt down. "Hey, Teddy. Is that card for someone special?"

Teddy stared at him silently.

"Cat got your tongue?" Draco joked with an easy smile.

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers," he muttered, turning back to what looked like a 'get better soon' card. _'Maybe it's for his grandmother,'_ Draco thought.

"That's a very good rule, but I don't think of myself as a stranger. I've been here a couple of times, and I've seen you both times. I even talked to your daddy, and he told me your name is Teddy."

"Harry is my godfather, not my daddy. My daddy died after I was born."

Draco almost swallowed his tongue. He felt horrible that he made Teddy say that. He didn't dare ask about Teddy's mother, afraid of the answer. If Harry was raising him, it was obvious the mother wasn't in the picture either. "Oh, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. Don't remember my daddy, and Harry is the best."

Draco smiled softly. "He _is_ pretty awesome."

Teddy seemed to forget his original apprehension about talking to a stranger as he showed Draco the card he was making. "It's for Nana Andi. She's been sick. I"m hoping this will help her get better."

"Cards are always good for helping people feel better. My mum used to always say my cards were the best medicine."

Teddy grinned, a dimple appearing on his cheek.

"Draco, you're here again?" Harry asked in surprise from behind them.

Teddy's eyes opened wide and pointed at Draco in apparent panic as if afraid he was going to get in trouble. "Harry, he said he wasn't a stranger!"

Harry stared at his godson. "He isn't a stranger, but Teddy, even if someone says they aren't a stranger, they may be lying."

Teddy nodded. "Sorry."

"It's okay." Harry turned his attention back to Draco. "As I said before, you're here again?"

Draco walked over to him and gestured to Teddy. "You know he's going to be a lady killer when he's a teenager, right? Especially with that dimple when he grins."

"Trust me, I know, and I'm dreading those years. How can I help you today?"

"Astoria said the roses were too unoriginal and boring," Draco answered with a sigh.

Harry rolled his eyes. "No offense Draco, but your girlfriend sounds very high maintenance. She didn't like the original arrangement, and she said the second one was too unoriginal. Really? Is she _ever _happy?"

"Do you always talk to your customers like that?" Draco asked after a surprised chuckle erupted out of his mouth.

"No, I guess I'm too comfortable around you."

"Comfortable, huh? I think I like that."

X

Harry couldn't help but feel a little lonely. Andi was feeling a bit better, so Teddy was with her today. Harry had grown used to Teddy's company, though.

He had no one to talk to in between customers.

He quietly swept up some fallen branches, his mind wandering. _'I wonder how the last bouquet went over with Draco's girlfriend.'_ The thought came out of nowhere. He hadn't even been thinking about Draco before the thought sprang forth in his mind. Still, now it was there, he couldn't let it go.

Harry liked Draco. He wasn't afraid to admit it to himself. Draco seemed to genuinely like Teddy and show interest in him, and that went far with Harry. He talked to Teddy, asked the little boy questions. It was more than any of Harry's past boyfriends had done since Harry became Teddy's guardian.

But of course, Draco was taken. And even if he wasn't taken, he wasn't into guys if he had a girlfriend. There was a slim chance he might be bisexual, but Harry wasn't willing to risk getting his nose punch by assuming that.

Harry sighed. He was destined to live a lonely life. That much was obvious.

The bell dinged, and Harry plastered his best, albeit, fake smile on his face. It widened and became a bit more real at the sight of Draco, his hands behind his back. "Hey, I was _just_ thinking about you." And he immediately wanted to kick himself. You're not supposed to admit that to a guy you like.

Draco didn't look disgusted, though. In fact, he tilted his head in an interested sort-of-fashion. "Really, I'm flattered. And I'm glad to not have read the signals wrong."

Harry blushed. He must have not been that discreet with his crush, and then what Draco said brought him to full alert. "You're glad. Why would you be glad?"

"I thought about what you said. Astoria is really high maintenance. No matter what I do, she finds something wrong with the gesture, and I realized she's not worth so much effort without any appreciation. You, I think, is worth the effort, though. You and Teddy, that is." Draco glanced at the corner where Teddy's workstation was usually set up. "Teddy is not here, I see. I hope that means his grandmother is doing better."

"Andromeda is much better."

Draco blinked. "I have an aunt named Andromeda I never met due to her having a falling out with my mother, but I'm sure that's a coincidence."

Harry arched an eyebrow. He knew Andromeda had sisters, but she never talked about them. He'd have to ask her when he picked Teddy up after Lily's Marigolds closed. "Back to why you're here. You said Teddy and I are worth the effort?"

Draco nodded. He brought his hands out from behind him, and Harry's breath caught at the sight of the pretty bouquet.

He took it, gentle fingers touching the petals. "A bunch of Lavender Roses circling a single Trumpet vine?"

"I hope I got the meanings right."

Harry blushed. "What were you going for?"

"Well," Draco cleared his throat when it sounded a bit horse.

Harry ripped his gaze away from the flowers to stare into Draco's cool, grey eyes. "Well?"

"Well, I'm completely enchanted by you, and I'm hoping you, me, and Teddy might be able to have a new beginning."

Harry's smile couldn't be contained. "You got it right."

"So, tonight's Friday, have any plans?"

"No, if any plans you have include Teddy."

"Of course, it wouldn't be a Friday night without Teddy."

Harry bit his bottom lip, afraid to let his eagerness overflow. "So, what do you have in mind?"

(word count: 2,123)


End file.
